An Outline of European History from 1789 to 1989 [Hardcover]

Sergio Romano (Author)

Book Description

Series: History | Publication Date: March 1999

In the wake of the revival of European nationalism in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Romano's essay explores the origin of the idea of the modern nation state between 1789 and 1848 when the citizen and the plebiscite replaced the subject as the legitimizing mechanism for national and multinational associations, and its subsequent evolution. He then traces its development to its zenith in 1919, its death in 1945, and its resurrection in 1989. Viewed through the political necessities of the nation state, the tumultuous events of the twentieth century and the recent rekindling of sentiments at the heart of those events take on a fresh perspective.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Historian, diplomat, and journalist, Sergio Romano was Director of Italian Cultural Relations,Ambassador to NATO, and Ambassador to the Soviet Union. He retired from the diplomaticservice in 1989 and became a regular columnist for La Stampa. He is the author of twobiographies of major political figures, Giolitti and Gentile, as well as two studies of Russianpolitical life. Romano has been visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley andHarvard University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 183 pages
• Publisher: Berghahn Books (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571810765
• ISBN-13: 978-1571810762
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,634,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, August 29, 2010

By 

Cristiano Nisoli (Los Alamos NM, USA and Lombardy, Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Outline of European History from 1789 to 1989 (Hardcover)

Retired diplomat, political commentator, historian, polyglot, sophisticate intellectual, Sergio Romano writes as he speaks, in a calm and balanced yet profound way. His succinct narrative is pregnant of meaning, his cultural esprit de finesse, sharpened by a long experience in the world diplomacy culminating during the fatal years of the fall of communism, always presents him, and the reader, with clear and distinct views that surround both sides of each issue, while his sense of history serves him well in detecting subtle common themes that percolate through the centuries. The style is simple and effective--Romano clearly believe that clarity is the hygiene of the mind--yet humble and suggestive. Every single agile paragraph informs and returns a perspective that the reader might not eventually share, but will not be able to ignore.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unmissable, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Outline of European History from 1789 to 1989 (Hardcover)

Former Italian ambassador Sergio Romano offers us his valuable insights on this period of human history with his uncomparable style. Truly one of the best book on European history to date.